


The Origins of Sappho

by I_Stood_in_Neither



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: Blood and Violence, Dysfunctional Family, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Femslash, First Time, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Oral Sex, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-02-18
Packaged: 2018-03-13 14:01:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3384284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Stood_in_Neither/pseuds/I_Stood_in_Neither
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Artemis rescues a female gladiator who is slated for death, but once she rescues her, what will become of he two of them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Origins of Sappho

**Author's Note:**

> **Warnings:** Graphic Violence, sexual content later on, this is a femslash story, don't like? Don't read.
> 
>  
> 
> **No Disclaimer, because as far as I'm aware no one actually own the greek mythos**
> 
>  
> 
> **Author's Note:** So this is an actual book I'm working on publishing, so far I only have one chapter, if it gets published I will be taking it down from here.

Artemis stalked through the woods, she could hear a herd of deer a few hundred meters ahead. Stepping carefully, they came into view, their musky scent drifting upwind to Artemis, who couldn’t help but grin at her luck. She raised her bow slowly and knocked an arrow into place. Breathing out slowly, she pulled the string back.

“Artemis,” a voice called, causing her attention to drift just as she let the arrow fly. It flew, swishing through the air before lodging itself in a tree, completely missing the fat stag she was aiming for.

Artemis turned, her short, white hair flying into her face.

“Dammit Apollo, I almost had that stag, what do you think you’re doing, creeping up like that. One second sooner, that arrow would have been in your chest,” she hissed, staring up at her twin, blue eyes narrowed. She didn’t wait for an answer and instead spun on her heel and walked over to get her arrow. As she was reaching for it, Apollo appeared out of nowhere and snatched it. Artemis suppressed a scream that tried to come out from his sudden appearance, managing to keep everything in but a small squeak. She could hear Apollo’s laugh as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to keep from shooting him in the foot with an arrow. Finally opening her eyes, she grabbed the arrow from her much taller brother. Lightly running her fingers over it, she felt the smooth surface, checking for cracks and splinters. Only the tip appeared to be damaged, and that could be fixed. 

She looked back at Apollo while keeping her face completely neutral. Even Apollo wasn’t stupid enough to interrupt her during a full moon hunt unless it was important.

“Why are you here?” She asked carefully. Knowing Apollo, it was Zeus whining he wanted her to come “home” and be a big, happy family with everyone. She would rather go chill with Hades, who would at least sympathize for her hate of Olympus.

“Hecate saw something you’re gonna wanna see,” He replied, that stupid grin on his face.

“More clarification would be great,” she muttered, even as she followed Apollo up to Olympus.  


* * *

“Hecate, how are you doing?” Artemis managed to force out, a fake smile plastered on her face. She prayed it would pass, but she knew it wouldn’t with this woman.

“Oh Artemis, darling, how are you? It’s been so long. Why, I saw you last when I took Persephone down to see her Hades. You aren’t still mad about that dog bite are you…?” Hecate smiled at her as if she had just said something wonderful and not brought up an annoying memory that Artemis was still angry about. Glaring at the dogs in question, Artemis slapped that faux smile on again and replied, 

“Of course not, I still haven’t managed to get the scar off, but Athena says a scar is the mark of a warrior, so I guess I’ll keep it.”

Hecate visibly pouted at Athena’s name. It was no secret that she was envious of her relationship with Artemis, and Artemis liked to remind her of that every once and a while. Still Hecate’s face quickly smoothed out and her smile widened, eyes sparkling as she focused on Artemis.

“There’s a young maiden in great danger, slated for death. You know of gladiators yes? There was a child born nineteen summers prior, one of incredible strength and beauty in a land beyond Greece, who lived under other Gods. She was captured two seasons ago and forced to train as a gladiator. Tomorrow she is to battle a man. The man will kill her in battle in Sparta. You have a chance to save her.”

Artemis froze, heart stopped as she watched the battle in her mind’s eye.

_A young woman, tall and bronzed, stood on a sandy plain. The roar of the crowd surrounded her, penetrating her ears and drowning everything out. Two dead bodies laid before her, but the third man she was supposed to be battling had escaped her vision. She held her short sword, coated in blood, at her side, prepared to defend herself. Footsteps sounded behind her. Just as she turned to face her attacker, a net is thrown over her, knocking her to the ground. She struggled with the heavy, knotted rope to get her sword free. A foot slammed into her wrist, breaking it. A shrill scream ripped out of her throat, leaving it raw. Looking up through the tears, she stared into the cold, lifeless eyes of the man. She was going to die, she was sure of it._

_She watched as the other gladiator looked up, waiting for the king’s go ahead. The crowd roared its approval, signaling that the king had sentenced her to death. The triton came down, and everything went black._

Artemis came back to herself, gasping for air, the warm earth underneath her. She could feel Gaia sending her calming energy. Tears streamed down her face, creating little rivers that fell to Gaia as she stood slowly, her body shaking from the feeling of death that ad encased her. She didn’t bother with letting either Apollo or Hecate know she was okay or where she was going. She had a maiden to save.  


* * *

Artemis stood in the shadows of the stadium, waiting for the right moment, bow poised. She watched as the woman slaughtered the first two men, all the while keeping an eye on the gladiator with the net. She had to do this perfectly, in order to send a message to the Spartans that sending this woman and other maidens that she was sworn to protect into fights for entertainment would not be tolerated. She watched as the gladiator ran toward the maiden. Just as he threw the net, she stepped into the light and let loose her arrow that flew with deadly accuracy and pierced the man’s heart. The sky darkened and lightning flashed, Zeus was on her side.

The crowd had become hushed as Artemis strode across the stadium, kicking up sand and causing it to swirl around her. Thunder crackled through the sky. A woman screamed.

Artemis knelt next to the woman and with a gentle hand, pulled the net off of her.

“Are you alright?” She asked the woman in a soft voice, careful not to frighten her. Green eyes flashed to Artemis’ blue ones. The woman opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Instead, she stared openly at Artemis, eyes gliding over her face, appearing to search for something. She must have found it because she nodded her head.

Artemis gave her a brusque nod, and gathered the maiden up in her arms before bowing her head.

“I’m ready to come home, Father,” Artemis whispered. Lightning flashed once, twice, before it encased the two women and brought them up to Olympus.  


* * *

“She brought a human up to Olympus, that is inexcusable!” Hera screamed at Zeus for the fourth time, pushing at him.

“Do not test me, woman, the child was in danger from the humans,” Zeus bellowed back, grabbing her hands.

“Stop treating the brat as if she’s a delicate babe and punish her just like you would anyone else!” Hera cried, gesturing at Artemis where she sat on her throne next to Athena. Artemis glanced at Athena, where she was seated watching the argument unfold. An owl hooted softly above Athena, where it sat on her throne. She seemed fully absorbed in the argument, as was her tendency when the various Gods and Goddesses blew up at each other. Athena always kept her face and posture neutral, But Artemis knew she was on her father and her’s side, even if she thought it was foolish to bring a human up to Olympus. Artemis snuggled deeper into the wolf skin the sat on her throne and wrapped it around her, breathing in the smells of the forest to ground her. 

Somewhere, Hermes was healing the maiden, the same one she had no idea the name of. The moment they had arrived on Olympus, the woman had fainted and refused to wake. Hermes had said there was internal bleeding and he could heal her, but it would take some time to do so. Artemis shut her eyes, the moon would be rising soon, and she would feel better then.

“Artemis.”

Artemis looked up at this and stared at Hermes as though he were the apparition of Eurydice that Orpheus had loved so dearly.

“She’s awake,” Hermes called. Almost automatically, Artemis was up and walking towards him and despite all the questions thrown at him by the other gods, Hermes waited patiently for Artemis, then turned and began walking towards his temple. By the time she entered the temple, Artemis had imagined all the horrible things she would see. Instead what she saw was a large open space, lined with two rows of beds. the farthest bed on the right was the only one occupied.

“Be careful with her and give her time to heal before jostling her, I know how you are with your maidens after all,” Hermes called, before chuckling and leaving. Artemis felt a blush creeping up her neck and staining her cheeks, where would he have gotten that notion, stupid idiot was just trying to mess with her probably.

Artemis walked over to her and carefully sat down on the bed. It was surprising how comfortable it was, She was going to have to ask Hermes what it was made out of.

Looking closely at the maiden, Artemis couldn’t help notice the cut lip or the bruised cheek bone that seemed to stain the face with a menagerie of colors. Long, dark brown hair fanned out, looking almost black against the paleness of the sheets and her skin. A couple strands of hair lay across the girl’s face and Artemis brushed them off. Green eyes opened and stared at her.

“What is your name?” Artemis asked, mentally kicking herself for sounding so forward.

The young woman stared at her for a moment longer before she replied with a voice surprisingly deep, “Sappho, my name is Sappho.”


End file.
